Ramadan begins in the Gulf on Monday

The holy month of Ramadan will begin on Monday across the Gulf region, religious authorities in UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have declared.

The beginning of the month was announced by the UAE's moon sighting committee following a meeting on Saturday.

Reports confirmed that the holy month will start in Saudi Arabia on Monday along with most other Gulf countries.

Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Kuwait and Qatar also confirmed Ramadan will start on Monday.

Muslims around the world, observe the holy month as a period devoted to dawn-to-dusk fasting, prayers and spiritual introspection and in the Gulf region, businesses and offices also reduce working hours.

Sweltering temperatures in the Gulf countries and the length of time between dawn and sunset being more than 14 hours this year will make Ramadan in August one of the toughest in recent years for those observing the fast.